“Coffee is really simple,” said Brian Turko, owner and master roaster at Milano Coffee and a business veteran of 34 years. “It’s aroma, acidity, body and flavour.”

That’s just one tidbit of wisdom the lively and highly knowledgeable Turko gave during a preview of the Milano Master Class Series, two-hour classes to be offered on the last Saturday of every month between May 30 and July 25.

Participants will be able to taste and analyze four unique single origin coffees and three Master Reserve espressos, learning about flavour profiles and blending techniques along the way. During our lesson, we tried varieties with names like Sidama, Tchembe and Geisha via coffee cupping, which involving deeply sniffing and sampling small amounts at a time to experience the subtleties of each taste.

Each class covers something different, building upon things learned from the one previous. Students can attend a single session ($100 per person), or the entire series, with a discount offered for repeat bookings and groups.

Milano Coffee is located at 256 W 8th Ave. in Vancouver. Space is limited to eight people per class — call 604-879-4468 to register.